°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ

Background

Ministers at the Tenth °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ Ministerial Conference (MC10) in December 2015 in Nairobi formally approved the Protocols on the Accession of Afghanistan and Liberia.  They welcomed the two LDCs as the latest additions to the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ family.  Nairobi was indeed a historic milestone for Afghanistan and Liberia, following their successful negotiations of the terms of accessions with °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ Members under challenging circumstances and capacity constraints. 

°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ Members have welcomed the Accession Packages of Afghanistan and Liberia as high quality, and praised the process and drive of these two LDCs as good examples on how to expedite °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ accession negotiations.  In substance, the Accession Packages signal their firm commitments to use the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ membership to sustain their reform agenda for economic transformation, enhanced competitiveness, improvements to their business environment and sustained integration to the rules-based global economy. 

In the process of their accession, the Governments of Afghanistan and Liberia welcomed the support provided by bilateral development partners, multilateral and regional institutions.  °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ Director-General Roberto Azevêdo in formally initiating °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ Post-Accession in his 2014 Annual Report on Accessions underscored that support shall remain even more critical in the immediate period following membership.   Strong partnership and coordination between Article XII LDCs and the international community will need to be sustained, including through an agreed follow-up mechanism.  This Post-Accession support has been critical in ensuring that Afghanistan and Liberia maximise the benefits of °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ membership. 

°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ/UNCTAD Post-accession forum

Seven months after the MC10, the international trade community gathered, again in Nairobi, for the UNCTAD14 on 19 July 2016.  Nairobi sustained the momentum in the trade and development agenda for Afghanistan and Liberia, this time, for their °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ membership in a Post-Accession Forum under the leadership of UNCTAD.

The Nairobi Post-Accession Forum provided a platform for an exchange on the following topics:

• Post-Accession Implementation Strategy – Maximising the Benefits of °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ Membership: Presentations by Afghanistan and Liberia;
• Best practices on post-accession (e.g. institutional framework, coordination, notifications)
• Post-Accession support for Afghanistan and Liberia by development partners and multilateral institutions; and,
• Partnership and coordination mechanisms for Post-Accession.

Programme